After-hour depository



March 12, 1929. Q. B. MCCLINTOCK ET AL 1,704,865

AFTER HOUR DEPOSITQRY Filed Aug. 12, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 III/I191 x \\l H v z HAM. We, 4 m a a 1 3 7 m w. w w a.

foe/4 3 flig izo/m e11 W 2% March 12, 1929. MCCLINTOCK ET AL 1,704,865

AFTER HOUR DEPOS ITORY Filed Aug. 12, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ifi/ March 12, 1929.

O. B. M CLINTOCK ET AL AFTER HOUR DEPOSITORY Filed Aug. 12, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 39 fijmdm 0// ver 5. N /02 064, Edward 6. Z owrence Edward C! Hanson Patented Mar. 12, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER B. MOCLINTOCK, EDWARD G. LAWRENCE, EDWARD C. HANSON, AND JOSEPH SODERHOLM, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNORS TO 0. B. MCCLINTOCK COMPANY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

AFTER-HOUR DEPOSITORY.

Application filed August 12, 1927.

Our invention relates to what are generally designated as after hour or night depositories. Devices of this kind are used in connection with banks, safety deposit vaults and the like, to enable depositors, subscribers or other authorized persons to deposit money or other valuables at night or at any other time out of banking or business hours. In a depository of this character, all possible safeguards against theft and fraudulent actions are required and these, as will hereinafter appear, are provided in the preferred form of the device hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section with some parts broken away, showing the improved depository applied in working position, only one wall of the building to which is applied being illustrated, and some of the parts being diagrammatically shown, details of structure being omitted;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged central vertical section showing the upper or receiving portion of the depository, some parts being shown in full and some parts broken away;

Fi 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an elevation looking at the outer face of the door that normally closes the outer end of the receiving chute;

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding somewhat to Fig. 2, but in section on the line 55 of F 3 and with the receiving drawer or sliding receptacle drawn out and in position to receive a deposit;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on the line 77 of Fig. 5, some parts being broken away:

Fig. 8 is a detail showing an inner door that is applied to the inner end of the drawer runway, to-Wit: The horizontally extended head or receiving portion of the delivery chute;

Fig. 9 is a detail showing an electrical switch that is operated by the outer door of Serial No. 212,539.

the depository and controls a buzzer circuit;

Fig. 10 is a section on the line 1010 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a detail in elevation showing one of the ballbearing rollers or wheels of the drawer or receiving receptacle;

Fig. 12 is a plan view showing a mechanically operated motor, (to wit: the motor operated by weight or spring), and including a retarding device; 7

Fig. 13 is a vertical section taken on the line 13-13 of Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is an elevation of the motor shown in Figs. 12 and 13 showing also electrical switches controlled by said motor;

Fig. 15 is a diagrammatic view showing the alarm circuits controlled by the switches illustrated in Fig. 14; and

Fig. 16 is a diagrammatic view of the bell circuit controlled by the electrical swit hes shown in 2. 5. 9 and 10.

The wall of a bank or other building in Which. the device is installed is indicated by the numeral 17. The numeral 18 indicates the sidewalk or first floor line, and the numeral 19 the basement floor. In this illustration, the depository receives the valuables from the exterior of the building at a point above the street or sidewalk line and delivers the same to a receiving vault 20 that is located inside of the building and, as shown, in the basement of the building, although the receiving vault may and sometimes will be located at a higher point but always below the receiving point. The receiving vault 20 is shown as provided with a suitable door 21 that is accessible only from the interior of the bank or building.

Extended upward from the receiving vault 20 is a delivery chute 22 that is preferably rectangular in cross section and made of heavy steel. This chute 22 is advisably encased in a reinforced concrete armor 23 which will, in practice, contain also wires of the customary vaultprotecting system. The delivery chute 22. at its upper end. is joined to the bottom of a horizontally disposed casing 21 that affords a receiving head to said chute and an enclosed runway for a, sliding or drawer-like parcel receptacle. This head or casing 24, at its inner end, is normally closed by a door 25 and, at

its outer end, by a door 26. These doors and 26 may be of any suitable or approved construction. As shown, the outer door 26 is supported from the flanged outer end of the casing 24 by a hinge bracket 27 and will be normally locked in its closed position by a key-actuated lock 28. such as usually employed on vault or safe doors. Keys fitting this lock 28 will be given to the various depositors. The inner door 25 is also preferably secured in its cloied position by a key-actuated lock 29, the key to which will be kept by the proper bank official or employee. As shown, said door 25 is provided with depending hook-like bolts 30 and with a lock-actuated bolt 31, which bolts are engageable with detents in the inner end of the casing 24. In the preferred construction, the chute 22 will be made up of sections, the upper section being connected to an obliquely depending portion 24 of the casing 24 by a double lap joint 32 and a cast-in metal lock ring 33, best shown in Fig. 2. Also. the casing 24, at its outer end, is preferably formed with a detachable flange 34 shown as secured thereto by screws 35 and to which flange the doorsupporting hinge bracket 27 is directly pivoted.

In practice, the wires of the vault-protecting system may be interposed in concrete 36 laid around the casing 24, its depending portion 24 and its flange 34, so that if any one of said parts is displaced, an alarm will be sounded.

The parcel receptacle 37 is substantially a rectangular structure that freely but quite closely fits within the casing 24 and is primarily open at top and bottom, but is provided with a hinged drop bottom This receptacle 37 slides as a drawer within the casing 24 and, at its sides, is provided with outstanding studs 39 and 40 on which, respectively, rollers 41 are journaled. These rollers 41 are arranged to run in channel like guideways 42 formed in the sides of the casing 24. Preferably, these rollers 41 are in the form of ball-bearings, as shown in detail in Fig. 11, but, of course, any suitable rollers may be provided. By reference particularly to Fig. 6, it will be noted that the sides of the casing 24, at the outer extremities of the channels 42, are provided with stop flanges 43 against which the front rollers 41 engage when the par cl receptacle 37 is drawn outward to its limit; it will also be noted that the projecting ends of the relatively long rear studs 40 are arranged to engage stop shoulders 43' formed within the channels 42 when the parcel receptacle drawn out to its limit. These two stop dcvices afl'ord double security against forcing of the parcel receptacle completely out of the casing 24 by any person who may at tempt to maliciously tamper with the de vice. The parcel receptacle 37, on its front wall, is shown as provided with a suitable handle 37'" by means of which it may be drawn forward or outward. By reference particularly to Figs. 2, 5 and 6, it will be noted that the studs 39 and 40 are directly secured to flanges 37 that are projected rearward from the sides of the parcel rcceptacle 37.

At its free edge, the drop bottom 38 is shown as prcforabiy provided with one or more small anti-friction rolls 38 that run on the bottom of the ca sing 24 when the parcel receptacle is drawn outward, and thereby hold the drop bottom in a closed position. Normally, the parcel receptacle will be in its innermost position, to wit: in the position indicated by full lines in Fig. 2 and by dotted lines in Fig. 5, and in which position, the drop bottom 38 will drop downward and fall against the inclined bottom wall of the casing extension 24. By referenoe to Fig. 3, it will be noted that in this preferred construction, the casing 24 is horizontally split or divided along the line of the centers or the guide channels 42; that the sections of said casing are spaced by strips 44; that said sections and strips are rigidly connected by screws 45; and that the stop shoulders 43 and 43- are directly formed on said spacing strips 44.

As an important feature, we provide yielding means for automatically returning the drawer-like parcel receptacle from its outermost position shown in Figs. 5 and 6 back to its normal or innermost position shown by full lines in Fig. 2 and by dotted lines in 5. The motive power of this yielding device is preferably a strong coiled spring 46 anchored at one end to a frame 47 rigidly secured within and at the inner end of the casing 24. The other end of this spring 46 is attached to a shaft 48 journaled in the frame 47 and provided with a Windlass drum 49. A cable 50 is anchored to the drum 49 at one end and at its other end is attached at 51 to the rear of the parcel receptacle 37. \Vhen the parcel receptacle is drawn for ward or outward, the spring 46 will be wound under increased tension, and when said receptacle is released it will be quickly returned to its normal or innermost position by the spring 46. To prevent shocks, due to quick stopping of the parcel receptaca: at its extreme innermost position, there is provided a suitable buffer or cushioning device, as shown in the form of a dashpot 52 secured to the frame 47 and a cooperating dasher head or piston secured to and projecting from the back of said parcel receptacle. The head of the piston 53 quite loosely fits the dash-pot 52 so that it will cushion rapid movement but will not materially retard a slow IHOYOIntIlt, such as produced when the parcel receptacle is manually drawn outward.

As a. safeguard against tampering, there are provided, in addition to the customary burglar alarm protection, two signaling schemes or devices, one of which will st an alarm, if the parcel receptacle be drawn outward or in a receiving pat beyond a predetermined short interval of time, and the other of which, whi e not ing as a. burglar alarm proper, will s ti! keep the depositor's attention called to ll-a fact that he is lrecping the parcel reccpiac held out during a period which. when r l will result in sounding of an alaim A through the automati action of die noted circuit. t

The alarm or lirs= v. vice just above indicated is diz'igrenia cally shown in Fi 15 and the *('\-'ldtl o buzzer circuit is indicated in Fig. ltt r alarm device, diagrammatically shown in Fig. 15, includes an alarm circuit proper :srd an alarm-actuating circuit. Said alarm circuit 54 includes a battery or source of one" 55, an electrically actuated bell 56, a iixcd contact 57 and a cooperating mova le spi' contact 58. The alarm-actuatcd circuit cludes a trip magnet 51), a reset magnet co, a battery 61, two switches (i2 and G3. and c rcuit wires 64, 65, 66, 67 and or The iri magnet 59 operates on a sp'ing-rctra zed bell crank lever 69, the depending arm o which, by a rod 70, is connected to a pivoted latch lever 71, the hook-like end oi which normally engages a pivoted armatu e that is subject to the reset magnet till an: provided with an extended finger 7Z5. whit-E; latter, as shown, is provided with. an ant.- friction roller 74 that operates on the curved end of the movable contact 58 of the alarm circuit proper.

The just above noted switches (32 and till are mounted on bearing plates 4 L that constitute a part or extension of the ffiiiilt l? and they are preferably positioned i s best shown in Fig. ll. The switch 2, as presently appear, operates as a reset svdtch,

while the switch (53 operates as a trip ch. For operating these two switches (12 and (3 in proper order and at proper times, there, is provided a yieldingly movable traveling switch closer, (under action of weight or spring), which, normally or when the parcel receptacle is in its retracted or llllltl'lllt wl position, is held inactive, but which. when the parcel receptacle is moved forward or drawn outward, will begin a niovtmient which, after a predetermined time. will close the trip switch 63 and cause the alarm to be sounded in a manner which will be presertly more fully traced. This switch closer, as illustrated in the drawings, in the form of a vertically movable weight T5 mou itc-d h a between the plates 47 and provided wit stud or projection 76 that works in a vcri iv: slot 77 formed in one of said plates. The weight 7 5 is connected to the lower end of a cable 78 which, is shown, runs over a guide sheave it) and gmiiitiittti to a small windlit-r drum to The sheave T9 is jonrnalcd on a rod 81 supported by the frame plates 77, die windlass drum 8%) is connected to a 8:2 jonrnale in said frame plates. The shaft 812, throurijh a train of gears 83, is courier ii to a retarding fan 84, all of which are iourualcd to the frame plates l7. of includes a pawl and i 1 (rec Fig. l2), which perv. a; s drum 80 to be rotated in a lo wind up 11 cable 78 and raise without driving the train of However, urder the action of the hi 75, when the latter is released, the of gears and the retarding fan 84: will and maize slow the downward moveof said weie ht. U or rotating the drum Eli in a direction to i the cable and raise the weight 75 i the parcel receptacle 37 is outward back to its normal or innermol i d up buzzer circuit diagram- 'ated in Fig. 16, in addition 'ng wires 89, comprises a bat or source of electrical energy 89, an ricctro-magnet 90, a fixed contact/91, a cor yicldiiigly retracted armature-act- H13, and a witch 93. The magnet epcratirnr con acts 91 and SP2 conwat is e ncraliy designated as a i h diagranin'iatically illl. and indicated as an 1); is in practice illustrated in Figs.

T i Y 7 as follows:

i i 959s a metallic casthe concrete of the 4- f the ads se in this ut wardly spring-presstwl when said plunger is it; liigs. t) and 10, has wntact with the contact plate 93 ,iated tram the casing 93-. One of the c cult leads 89 is electrically con- "tcd b :11 contact post 93 to the casing 953,

cad 5 9 is electrically con- 1' Slit to the contact yr 93" is grounded and has electrical ccntact plate 93" only is released and permitcont t t and o in tig.

c .-ineciion mi. when the plunger 2 Opomlio n.

The normal positions of the various movable parts of the system or installation are indicated by full lines in Figs. 2, 13, ll. 15 and 1G, and by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and )epositors or persons authorized to make deposits will, as already stated, be furnished with keys that will operate the lock 28 of the outer door 26, and such persons can, of course, at will, open said door. lVhen the door 26 is open. the depositor can reach in and take hold of the handle 27 of the parcel receptacle 37 and may then readily draw the same. outward into the receiving position mown by full lines in Figs. 1 and ti and then may deposit his parcel y in the outwardly drawn receptacle. As soon as the operator releases the parcel receptacle, the latter will be quite rapidly drawn inward and restored to its normal position by the spring at the extreme return movement of said receptacle being cushioned by the dash pot 52 and plunger 53. lVhen the parcel receptacle is drawn outward to the receiving position, its bottom 38, best shown in Fig. 5. will be held in a horizontal or operative position so that the receptacle will hold the parcel and carry the same inward. lVhen the parcel receptacle approaches its extreme inward movement, the bottom 38, under the action of gravity. drops down against the inclined lower wall of the inclined spoutl'orming portion 24 and causes the parcel 3 to be dropped through the chute and into the vault 20.

The above are the major mechanical operations of the system.

Immediately upon opening of the outer door 26. the spring-pressed plunger 93". operating as already described, closes: the buzzer circuit 89 and buzzer 9U-9l-92 into action, for a purpose already generally indicated and which will be turther consii'lcred atter having described the action ot th alarm system illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 15 and further illus trated in Figs 12, 13 and 14.

lVhen the parcel receptacle a? is drawn forward or outward, it moves out ot' engagw ment with the rack bar 85, thereby releasing the weight. and permitting the latter to begin its downward mmxement. and which downward moi ement is retarded by the retarding fan 84. This weight 75 and its rim projecting stud 76 afford one form of switch closer, and when they move downward, the stud 76, on passing the curved cam-acting end of the movable member of the reset switch (32. closes said switch, and this closes the circuit through the reset magnet (it) and causes the same to act on the a mature 72 but without resni', howcve. inasnnlch said armature is then inched down by the latch lever 71 and holds tlri switch of the alarm circuit 54iopen.

It is calculated that about two minutes will be suiiicient time to enable the depositor, otter opening the door 26. to draw out the parcel receptacle. deposit the parcel therein and release said receptacle for automatic return movement and. hence, the clock mechanism or retarding device, which retards the movement ot the switch closer is in this particular so timed that. a little more. than two minutes will be required to cause the stud To of the down wardly moving switch cl ser to come into engagement with the upper member of the trip switch (53. Hence. it the deposit be. made and the parcel receptacle be permitted to return to its normal position within the two minute period, then the returning parcel riweptacle by engagement with the rack 84 and operating through the connections described, will raise or move the switch-closing weight 75 back to its normal position without having permitted the stud To to engage or close the trip switch (33. linder upward or return movei'nent ot the stud '76, it will. in the above event, again (lose the trip switch (32 but without any functional action.

It, however, the parcel receptacle be held outward or not permitted to return to its normal position within the assmned limit of two minutes, then the stud 76 will engage the upper member of the trip switch (33 and will close said switch. When the trip switch (33 is closed, the circuit through the trip magnet 59 will be closed and said magnet will be energ zed, with a result that the armature (39 will be. moved and. through the connection 70, the latch lever 71 will be disengaged from the armatur T2. and thereupon under the. tension of the movable spring contact 58. (the upper end ot which is rounded or cam-shaped), said armature 72 will be raised and the contact 135% will engage the contact 57, thereby ch j alarm circuit proper 54-. and causing the alarm gong 56 to be soundei'l. Thus. it will be seen that when the trip magnet. as has been energized by an extreme mow-inept of the switch closer 75-7G, the armai ure 72. subject to the reset magnet 60. will be released and will remain released and the alarm continued to be sounded until the parcel receptacle 37 has been restored to its normal innermost position, whereupon the rack bar 85. under the action of the returned parcel i i u ta receptacle and through the connections described, will move said switch closer back to its raised or normal position, causing the stud 76 to again engage the curved end of the movable member of the reset switch 62, thereby closing said switch. When the switch 62 is closed, under these conditions just noted, the circuit through the reset magnet will be closed and said reset magnet will be energized and will then draw the armature 72 downward to a position where it will be again engaged and held by a latch lever 71. This return movement of the armature 72 presses the switch contact 85 out of engagement with the contact 57 and thereby opens the alarm circuit 54 and stops the alarm.

From the above, it will be evident that the scheme just above described and illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 15 accomplishes two results, to wit: first, means for sounding an alarm when the parcel recep- -tacle has been held in its outwardly drawn or receiving position beyond a predetermined period of time, and second, means for automatically opening the alarm circuit and setting the device for a repeated alarm action. In the scheme specifically illustrated in said Fig. 15, the opening of the alarm circuit and resetting of the device for repeated action is dependant upon return movement oi the parcel receptacle to its normal position, and in this simple diagramnuitical illustration, said opening oi the alarm circuit and resetting of the device would be accomplished instantly upon return movement oi the parcel receptacle. In practice, however, it is proposed to use a more intricate scheme in which, by a clock-actuated or timing mechanism, the opening of the alarm circuit and resetting of the device for repeated action would be delayed for a period of, say, fifteen minutes more or less, even though the parcel receptacle should be restored to normal position in less time. For the incorporation of this more elaborate scheme just above indicated, we have, in practice, utilized a system disclosed and claimed in the Lawrence Patent No. 1,629,347, of date May 17, 1927, entitled Alarm system for vaults.

Attention is further called to the buzzer circuit illustrated in Fig. 16, and which buzz er, as it will be remembered, will be thrown into action instantly upon opening of the outer door 26. This buzzer will, therefore, continue to operate as long as the said door 26 is open and will be cut out of action only when the said door is closed. This buzzer, except for the time of its starting into action, has no timed action in respect to the alarm device and it simply keeps the depositors attention directed to the fact that he is operating under a limited period of time and that he should close the door and, in fact,

must close the door in order to cut the buzzer out of action.

What we claim is:

1. In a depository of the kind described, a delivery chute provided at its receiving end with a transversely extended casing adapted to be projected through a wall, a parcel receptacle slidably mounted in said casing from a position to discharge into said chute into a position to receive a parcel, in combination with a normally restrained alarm device and means for automatically setting the sameinto action when said receptacle is moved from its normally discharging position for a predetermined period of time.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said alarm device includes an alarm circuit having a normally open switch, an actuating circuit including a normally open trip switch, a magnet and magnet-operated means for closing the switch of said alarm circuit, a switch closer under strain to move and to close said trip switch but normally held from movement when said parcel receptacle is in discharging position, means for retarding the movement of said switch closer when released so that it Will cause the closing of the alarm circuit only when said parcel receptacle has been held from its discharging position for a predetermined period of'time, and means for restoring said switch closer to normal position when said parcel receptacle is restored to discharging position.

3. In a depository of the kind described, a delivery chute, a parcel receptacle at the receiving end of said chute movable from a position to rcce'vc a parcel into a position to discharge the same into said chute, yielding means tending to move said parcel receptacle, a normally restrained alarm device, and means for auton'iatically setting said alarm device into action when said parcel receptacle is moved and held away from its normal discharging position for a predetermined period of time.

4. In a depository of the kind described, a delivery chute, a parcel receptacle at the receiving end of said chute movable from a position to receive a parcel into a position to discharge the same into said chute, yielding means tending to move said parcel receptacle, a normally restrained alarm device, means for automatically setting said alarm device into action when said parcel receptacle is moved and held away from its discharging position for a predetermined pe 'iod of time, and resetting means for restoring said alarm device to normal condition for repeated action and rendered operative by the return of said parcel receptacle to its normal discharging position.

5. In a depository of the kind described,

a delivery chute provided at its receiving end with a transversely extended casing adapted to project through a wall, a parcel receptacle slidably mounted in said casing from a position to discharge into said chute into a position to receive a parcel, said casing at its outer end having a normally closed door, yielding means operative to return said parcel receptacle from its receiving position into its normal discharging position, a normally restrained electromagnetic alarm device including a trip switch, a timed switch closer, held retractive and inoperative when said parcel receptacle is in a normal discharging position, but released for timed action when said receptacle is moved from normal position and operative on said trip switch to cause the sounding of the alarm when and only when said parcel receptacle is held away from its normal discharging position for a predetermined period of time.

6. The structure defined in claim 5 in combination with electromagnetic resetting means for restoring said alarm device to normal condition for repeated action and rendered operative by the return movement of said parcel receptacle to its normal discharging position.

7. In a depository of the kind described. a delivery chute provided at its receiving end with a transversely extended casing adapted to project through a wall, a parcel receptacle slidably mounted in said casing from a position to discharge into said chute into a position to receive a parcel, yielding means operative to return said parcel receptacle from its receiving position into its normal discharging position, a normally restrained electromagnetic alarm device including a trip switch, a timed switch closer held retracted and inoperative when said parcel receptacle is in a normal discharging position, but released for timed action when said receptacle is moved from normal position and operative on said trip switch to cause the sounding of the alarm when and only when said parcel receptacle is held away from its normal discharging position for a predetermined period of time.

8. The structure defined in claim 7 in combination with electromagnetic resetting means for restoring said alarm device to normal condition for repeated action and rendered operative by the return movement of said parcel receptacle to its normal discharging position.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

OLIVER B. MoCLINTOCK. EDWARD G. LAWRENCE. EDWARD C. HANSON. JOSEPH SODERHOLM. 

